Attachment for chairs and other structures



p 1953 c. E. CHOATE 2,650,651

ATTACHMENT FOR CHAIRS AND OTHER STRUCTURES Filed June 24, 1950 INVENTOR. Cue/$7M E (Hon T5,,

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Patented Sept. 1, 1953 ATTACHMENT FOR CHAIRS AND OTHER STRUCTURES Christian E. Choate, Los Angeles, Calif., assignor of one-half to Cliff May, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application June 24, 1950, Serial No. 170,211

2 Claims. 1

This invention relates to an attachment for chairs, other furniture and various objects and structures to provide thereon a convenient supporting means of general utility.

It is one of the objects of this invention to provide an attachment such as described which, without the use of extraneous fastening means or fastening means requiring manipulation apart from movement of the attachment as a unit, may be quickly and easily mounted on and detached from a chair or other structure having portions for cooperation with the attachment to hold the same in place as a convenient support for various articles and objects.

Another object of this invention is to provide an attachment of the character described in which a member providing a supporting surface having the utility of a table-top, shelf, or tray, and a novel supporting and attaching means are so constructed and combined as to form a simple unit structure readily applicable to chairs, benches, and other furniture, with the supporting surface subject to convenient use, yet disposed so as not to interfere with the normal use of the chair or other object on which the attachment is mounted.

Further, it is another object of the invention to provide an attachment such as described which is adapted for application to a chair or like seating units of the popular patio, lawn, or outdoor type wherein angularly related portions, making the attachment adaptable thereto, are provided by U-shaped or similarly shaped leg and arm rest units made of metal tubing or the like forming the sides of such chairs or like pieces of furniture.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an attachment such as described in which an angular attaching arm fixed to the tray and provided with fixed elements, makes it possible to detachably mount the attaching arm on an arm rest and a portion of the chair or like structure angularly extended from the arm rest, with the supporting portion of the attachment disposed to one side and forwardly of the arm rest and substantially in the plane thereof.

Another object of this invention is to provide an attachment for chairs wherein the support portion thereof may comprise two members, one fixed to the attaching arm and the other in the form of a tray removably fitted over the fixed member, these two members being optionally employed, with the use of the removable tray affording considerable convenience in serving food and refreshment, in that after being removed to have food or refreshments placed thereon it may be securely seated on the fixed member, or allowed to remain therein as the supporting surface of the attachment.

This invention possesses many other advantages and has other objects which may be made more easily apparent from a consideration of one embodiment of the invention. For this purpose there is shown a form in the drawings accompanying and forming part of the present specification. This form will now be described in detail, illustrating the general principles of the invention; but it is to be understood that this detailed description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an attachment embodying the present invention, shown in position of use on a chair;

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the tray and chair on which the tray is mounted;

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the tray and the side portion of the chair on which the tray is mounted, the tray being broken away in part, for

clarity of illustration;

Figure 4 is a side view of the tray as removed from the chair;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary top plan view similar to Figure 8, showing how the tray and the attaching arm fixed thereto are positioned relative to the chair in mounting the tray on the chair; and

Figures 6, '7 and 8 are detail sectional views taken respectively on lines 66, l! and B8 of Figure 2.

In the accompanying drawing there is shown one form of an attachment embodying this invention as applied to a chair A which latter forms the subject matter of an application for Letters Patent of the United States, Serial No. 170,212, filed June 24, 1950. This chair has on each side thereof an inverted U-shaped leg and arm rest unit wherein the cross piece of the unit forms an arm rest 13 and the remainder forms front and rear leg portions C and D respectively. In each of these units, the upper part DI of the rear leg D and the arm rest portion B are angularly related in such manner as to accommodate the attachment of this invention. In this connection, it should be noted and it will be apparent as the description hereof progresses, that the attachment of this invention will be applicable to various objects and structures which have strong and rigid support therefor.

angularly related portions similar or comparable to those on the chair here shown. 1

In accordance with this invention, the attachment includes an arm 9 providing a support and a means for detachably mounting the arm on a chair or other structure having angularly related portions such as hereinbefore noted.

As here shown, a flat loop portion 9a formed at one end of the arm 9 is subject to use as a support for objects placed therein or thereon or fixed thereto. In this instance, a flat member ll! of generally oval form like a tray or shelf is fixed to the loop portion by means of screws II, with the loop portion generally following the contour of the margin of the fiat member and close thereto on the under side thereof to provide a The member ID provides a supporting surface having the utility of a shelf, table top, or tray, and in the case of the attachment being applied to a chair or the like, this surface is conveniently accessible to the occupant of the chair or like article of furniture.

The means on the arm 9 which provides for mounting the arm on the chair or other structure hereinbefore noted, comprises oppositely facing and substantially semi-circular hook members l2 and i3 fixed at longitudinally spaced points on the straight portion 91) of the arm 9 as by being welded thereto, said straight portion extending outwardly to one side of the member [0. A similar hook or clasp member i4 is fixed to the angularly extended end portion 90 of the arm 9.

The members [2 and 13 are adapted to embrace the upper and lower sides respectively of the arm rest B of the chair, while the member [4 is arranged to embrace the outer side of the upper portion DI of the rear leg D of the chair, the members l2 and I3 holding the arm portion 8a and 9b and the support member H) in substantially horizontal position while the hook l2 prevents turning of arm portion 9b about its axis and consequent tilting of the member ID out of horizontal position.

As here shown, the juncture portion 911 of the arm 9 between the angularly related portions 91) and 9c, is curved to conform to the curvature of the juncture portion D2 between portions B and DI of the chair. Thus, when the arm 9 is mounted on the chair it lies. along the outer sides of and aligns with portions B, D2 and DI of the chair.

To mount the attachment on the chair, the support member Ill and arm 9 are first positioned as shown in Figure 5, with the hook I2 resting on the top of the arm rest portion B of the chair, while the member In is moved and tilted to incline the arm 9 downwardly and angularly outwardly from arm rest 13 to a position disposing the upwardly facing hook [3 below the plane of .4 the lower side of the arm rest portion and the hook [4 adjacent the portion Dl of the chair.

The hook I2 will act as a fulcrum in moving the arm 9 into position to enable the engagement of the hooks l2, l3 and I4 with the angularly related members B and DI respectively. This is accomplished by moving the extended portion of the arm 9 inwardly from the position shown in Figure 5 toward the portions B and DI of the chair, while turning the straight portion 9b about its axis so as to bring hooks I2, l3 and [4 into embracing relation to the portions B and DI such that the attachment is securely but detachably held in place on the chair.

Removal of the attachment is effected by reversing the above noted operation, the arm 9 being first turned about the axis of portion 9b until the hook I4 is swung outwardly from the portion D1 of the chair, after which the arm is inclined to substantially the position shown in Figure 5 to release the hook 113, following which the tray unit may be lifted clear of the chair.

A removable tray member R may be employed so as to fit over the fixed support member I 8. As here shown, the removable tray R is comparatively thin and light, having an upstanding rim I! and a depending marginal flange [8, which latter affords a tight fit of the tray on the fixed member I 0. Subject to ready removal and replacement the tray B may be used with convenience in serving foods and refreshments. It may be allowed to remain on the fixed member ID or used separately as desired. When in place it appears as a part of the fixed member.

I claim:

1. An attachment for a chair, comprising: a tray, an arm fixed at one end to said tray and having an intermediate portion disposed to one side of the tray and a free end portion extending angularly from said intermediate portion, a pair of oppositely facing chair-engaging clasp members fixed on said intermediate portion and a clasp member fixed to said free end portion.

2. An attachment comprising, an arm having one end bent to form a fiat loop, a tray fixed to said loop, said arm having an intermediate portion extending along one side of the tray and a free end portion extending angularly from aid intermediate portion and oppositely disposed open clasp members fixed to said intermediate and angular portions for detachably mountin the attachment to a chair or other structure.

CHRISTIAN E. CHOATE.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Re. 15,296 Thompson Feb. 28, 1922 818,917 Ruger Apr. 24, 1906 1,413,745 Leonard Apr. 25, 1922 

